Authorities, family talk about death of Bath woman

Although Bobbi Jo Margeson-Hatter’s family knows she died sometime between March 19 and March 29, and authorities have ruled her death accidental, their journey isn’t over.

By James Postjpost@the-leader.com

Although Bobbi Jo Margeson-Hatter’s family knows she died sometime between March 19 and March 29, and authorities have ruled her death accidental, their journey isn’t over.

For them, and for law enforcement officials, the focus now is to identify who is responsible for putting Margeson-Hatter in the situation that eventually led her to the hunting blind in the woods where she died.

Although the official toxicology results from the autopsy are not available yet, Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker, at a press conference held Tuesday in Bath, pointed to two drugs that have cost several lives in the county in recent years – bath salts and methamphetamine.

Baker said the substances have led to seven deaths in the past two years.

“These substances are different than we’ve ever dealt with before,” he said.

Hatter’s father, William Margeson, said it was clear something had changed about his daughter over the last several months.

“These last six months, she was not there,” he said.

Margeson said his daughter would often spend a lot of time staring out the window as if looking intently for something, but there was nothing there. He said her behavior had changed significantly from just a year ago.“Six to eight months ago, something happened,” he said.

Steuben County Undersheriff Jim Allard said those kinds of changes in behavior, including paranoia, are typical of those using powerful drugs such as meth or bath salts.

He said the state police, Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office would be investigating to find out where any drugs, if involved, might have come from.

He said there might be prosecutions on that front related to the case.

Some members of Margeson-Hatter’s family also had questions for the officials.

They wanted to know about a call to authorities during the search from someone claiming to be the then-missing woman.

Allard confirmed that they received a call from someone claiming to be Margeson-Hatter, and that the person was able to answer specific questions related to the real Bobbi Jo’s family and life.

He said when police went to find the caller, they discovered it was a hoax.

Allard reassured family members the fake call hadn’t led the department to end or slow down search efforts.Officials said there was an ongoing investigation into the hoax phone call, but said it didn’t appear to result from “malicious intent.”

Margeson-Hatter’s family also wanted to know why a New York State Police helicopter didn’t identify the 15-foot raised hunting blind as a location of interest and direct searchers there.

“I wish we had,” was Allard’s only response.

Margeson-Hatter was reported missing the evening of March 19 by a family member. She was reportedly confused and disoriented, walking down the middle of Chamberlain Road, where she lived.

A search was conducted involving the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, New York State Police, state forest rangers, canine units, family, friends and volunteers, but no sign of her was found until March 29.

That morning, a woman hiking in the woods near County Route 14 in the Town of Bath walked over to investigate a hunting blind and found Margeson-Hatter’s body. Authorities said the woman only looked into the structure because she’d never seen one before.

Margeson said he didn’t want the family’s ire directed at law enforcement officials who conducted the search for his daughter.

“I feel they’ve done the best they could,” he said.

In particular, he thanked Allard personally, whom he said sat with him at his home during the search for Bobbi Jo.

Rather than pointing fingers at police for not searching thoroughly enough, “let’s start pointing (fingers) at the ones” who really caused Margeson-Hatter’s death, Margeson said.

“Let’s all join together and fight this,” he said.

Baker echoed that, saying the only way authorities will be able to prevent more deaths was with a combined community effort.

“This is something that has to stop,” he said.

An obituary with visitation and service information appears today on page A5 of The Leader.